Polyimides find extensive use in electronic applications where they are useful in forming dielectric films on electrical and electronic devices such as capacitors and semiconductors. Typical uses for polyimides include protective coatings for semiconductors, dielectric layers for multilayer integrated circuits, high temperature solder masks, bonding multilayer circuits, final passivating coatings on electrical electronic devices and the like.
It is well known in the polymer art to make thermally stable all-aromatic polyimides by the condensation polymerization of dianhydrides and diamines to form polyamic acid. Such polyimide precursors are disclosed inter alia in U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,634 to Edwards. These polyamic acids are readily dehydrated to the corresponding polyimides by heating at high temperatures, e.g. 300.degree. to 400.degree. C. However, these all-aromatic polyimides known heretofore have all been insoluble and, therefore, protective films could not be coated in the polyimide form. Therefore, it has been prior practice to use instead the precursor polyamic acids which had the advantage of being readily soluble in many aprotic solvents. Such polyamic acid solutions were then coated to form the appropriate film and converted to the corresponding polyimide by heating the film at high temperature to effect volatilization of the solvent and dehydration of the polyamic acid to form the polyimide. However, polyamic acid solutions tend to have substantial viscosity instability which causes them to become lower in viscosity upon storage at room temperature. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an already formed soluble polyimide which is viscosity stable and, because it requires no conversion, can be processed at relatively low temperatures, e.g., below 200.degree. C.